About one in five of GrabFood's e-scooter riders and one in three eligible Foodpanda riders have had their requests to trade in e-scooters approved by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). They are the first to benefit from the $7 million e-scooter Trade-in Grant (eTG) set up by the Government and the three major food delivery companies in Singapore. Under the scheme, eligible riders can trade in their e-scooters for up to $1,000 each to switch to electric bicycles or personal mobility aids. Those who opt to switch to bicycles can receive up to $600 each.
The grant was announced on 8 Nov amid concerns from riders that their earnings would be hit hard by a ban on using e-scooters on footpaths. Riders who have received the approval can now buy their new modes of transport before trading in their e-scooters with their respective firms.
The entire clearance process for applications involves both firms and LTA, and can take up to three working days. Grab told successful applicants that the in-principle approval is granted on the condition that riders do not sell their new vehicles or transfer ownership to someone else for six months after they have received payment.
According to the LTA, a breach of terms and conditions set out under the eTG scheme may result in a rider's disqualification. Riders who are disqualified will have to return all payments they received from the scheme. Riders have until 31 Dec to apply for the trade-in grant.
